Isaiah 37:28

28, 29. All the acts of the Assyrian are under the strict surveillance of Jehovah, who will shew His power over him by dragging him back, like a wild beast, to his place. If the emendation of Wellhausen (see on Isa_37:27) be accepted, Isa_37:28 would read: Before me is thy rising up and thy sitting down (cf. Psa_139:2), and thy going out and thy coming in I know, and thy raging against me.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

37:28 you have raged against me: Assyria was utterly hostile to the Lord, which brought them even greater condemnation.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, his counsels and enterprises.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

abode--rather, "sitting down" (Psa 139:2). The expressions here describe a man's whole course of life (Deu 6:7; Deu 28:6; Kg1 3:7; Psa 121:8). There is also a special reference to Sennacherib's first being at home, then going forth against Judah and Egypt, and raging against Jehovah (Isa 37:4).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(28) Thy abode . . .—The three words include, in the common speech of the Hebrews, the whole of human life in every form of activity (Psa_121:8; Psa_139:2).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And this shall be a sign unto thee,.... Not to Sennacherib, but to Hezekiah; for here the Lord turns himself from the former, and directs his speech to the latter, in order to comfort him under the dreadful apprehensions he had of the Assyrian monarch, and his army; assuring him of deliverance; giving him a sign or token of it, and which was a wonder, as the word sometimes signifies, and was no less marvellous than the deliverance itself:

ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself: and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof: all which was very wonderful; for whereas, either through the invasion of the land, and the siege of the city, they could not till their land as they had used to do, or what was upon it was destroyed or eaten up by the Assyrian army; and yet, through the wonderful providence of God, the earth of its own accord yielded that very year a sufficiency for them; and though the second year was, as it is thought, a sabbatical year, when the land had rest, and by the law was not to be tilled, yet it also produced of itself what was sufficient for their support; and then the third year being entirely free from the enemy, and all fears of his return, they go about their business as formerly, to sowing and reaping corn, and planting vineyards, and enjoying the fruit of their labours; all which falling out according to this prediction, must greatly confirm the mind of Hezekiah, and make him easy as to any future attempt upon him he might fear. The Vulgate Latin version renders the second clause, "ye shall eat apples the second year"; and so Symmachus, but without foundation.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

But I know - The language of God. ‘I am well acquainted with all that pertains to you. You neither go out to war, nor return, nor abide in your capital without my providential direction’ (see the notes at Isa 10:5-7).

Thy abode - Margin, ‘Sitting.’ Among the Hebrews, sitting down, rising up, and going out, were phrases to describe the whole of a man’s life and actions (compare Deu 6:7; Deu 28:6; 1Ki 3:7; Psa 121:8). God here says that he knew the place where he dwelt, and he was able to return him again to it Isa 37:29.

And thy rage against me - (See Isa 37:4).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. The expressions, thy abode… going out… coming in, are commonly agreed to mean all the actions of life. Psa_139:2. These, Jehovah says to the Assyrian general, he has always known.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I know thy abode; literally, thy down-sitting. (comp. Psa_139:2) The meaning is that God has, and has had, his eye on Sennacherib throughout all his career, seeing to and watching over his performance of his will. The phrase, going out, and coming in, is a Hebrew idiom for a man"s doings. (see Num_27:17 Deu_28:6 Deu_31:2 1Sa_18:13, 16 2Sa_3:25 1Ki_3:7, etc.) Thy rage against me. As shown in the message sent by Rab-shakeh, (Isa_36:7) in Rabshakeh"s speech to the "men on the wall", (Isa_36:15-20) and in the letter sent to Hezekiah from Lachish. (Isa_37:10)

Vers. 28, 29. God"s agents are never beyond his restrainings.

He used Assyria, but he holds Assyria in with bit and bridle. The horse may plunge, and rear, and trample, and seem to be beyond all restraint; but God never looses the rein, and draws it in when he pleases. The figures used are even more striking. He puts "a hook in the nose," which Michaelis explains in this way: "The Orientals make use of a contrivance for curbing their work-beasts, which is not adopted among us. They bore the nose through both sides, and put a ring through it, to which they fasten two cords. When a beast becomes unruly, they have only to draw the cord on one side, which, by stopping his breath, punishes him so effectually that, after a few repetitions, he fails not to become quite tractable, whenever he begins to feel it. To this contrivance the Arabian poets often allude." It illustrates two points.

I THE ANXIETIES WE SUFFER WHEN WE FIX OUR GAZE ON SECOND CAUSES.

II THE RESTFULNESS WE GAIN WHEN WE LOOK, BEHIND AND WITHIN, TO THE GREAT, OVERRULING FIRST CAUSE. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Asshur is Jehovah's chosen instrument while thus casting down the nations, which are "short-handed against him," i.e., incapable of resisting him. But Jehovah afterwards places this lion under firm restraint; and before it has reached the goal set before it, He leads it back into its own land, as if with a ring through its nostril. Fifth turn, "And thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy entering in, I know; and thy heating thyself against me. On account of thy heating thyself against me, and because thy self-confidence has risen up into mine ears, I put my ring into thy nose, and my muzzle into thy lips, and lead thee back by the way by which thou hast come." Sitting down and rising up (Psa 139:2), going out and coming in (Psa 121:8), denote every kind of human activity. All the thoughts and actions, the purposes and undertakings of Sennacherib, more especially with regard to the people of Jehovah, were under divine control. יען is followed by the infinitive, which is then continued in the finite verb, just as in Isa 30:12. שׁאננך (another reading, שׁאננך) is used as a substantive, and denotes the Assyrians' complacent and scornful self-confidence (Psa 123:4), and has nothing to do with שׁאון (Targum, Abulw., Rashi, Kimchi, Rosenmller, Luzzatto). The figure of the leading away with a nose-ring (chachı̄ with a latent dagesh, חא to prick, hence chōach, Arab. chōch, chōcha, a narrow slit, literally means a cut or aperture) is repeated in Eze 38:4. Like a wild beast that had been subdued by force, the Assyrian would have to return home, without having achieved his purpose with Judah (or with Egypt).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

“And thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, I have known, and thy raging (or provoking of thyself) against me.” These phrases are combined to signify all the actions of his life, like sitting down and rising up in Psa 139:2, going out and coming in (Deu 28:6; 1Ki 3:7), and elsewhere, the latter especially in reference to military movements (1Sa 18:16; 2Sa 5:2).

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

This continues Yahweh's message to the king of Assyria.

But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in

This refers to all activities of life. AT: "I know everything you do" (See: Merism)

and your raging against me

The word "raging" can be expressed as a verb. AT: "how you rage against me" (See: Abstract Nouns)

your arrogance

Here the king's "arrogance" refers to his arrogant speech. AT: "your arrogant speech" (See: Metonymy)

your arrogance has reached my ears

This speaks of Yahweh hearing the king's speech as if the king's speech were something that traveled to his ear. AT: "I have heard you speaking arrogantly" (See: Metaphor)

I will put my hook in your nose, and my bit in your mouth

A person uses a hook and bit to lead an animal around. This speaks of Yahweh controlling the king as if the king were an animal Yahweh controlled with a bit and hook. AT: "I will control you like a man controls his animal by place a hook in its nose and a bit in its mouth" (See: Metaphor)

I will turn you back the way you came

This refers to causing the king to return to his own home country. The meaning of this can be made clear. AT: "I will force you to return to your own country" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

rage

arrogant

turn

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And your sitting and your going out and your coming I know Jonathan paraphrased: And your sitting in counsel, and your going out to wage war, and your coming to the land of Israel, is revealed to Me. When the thought entered your mind, and you took counsel to destroy My house, I knew it.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.